Rural northern Thailand at its most beautiful and interesting. This trip will show you the highest mountain in the country, and villages of several mountain tribes. You will visit Mae Hong Son, Pai, Tham Lot cave, waterfalls and temples, several border villages and the finale is the (in)famous Golden Triangle where Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand meet, and which had a reputation for its opium production in the past. A great experience.
Minimum 2 people
Car or minivan
2 People | ฿21,500/PP |
3 People | ฿16,500/PP |
4 People | ฿14,000/PP |
5 People | ฿12,500/PP |
Mae Hong Son – Fern Resort
Pai – Baan Krating Pai
Chiang Dao – Azalea Village
Mae Salong – Hill Top Home
Enter your details, select your travel date, number of participants and extension choice in the booking enquiry form, then click Next Step. Any additional information you want to share (number of kids and adults) can be added in the Additional Notes field on the second page of the booking enquiry form.
Solo travellers, please check the FAQ section of this tour.
We drive to the Doi Inthanon National Park and go all the way to the top of the mountain (2565 meters) where there is a radar station (no photos!) and take a walk through a moss forest, special because of the altitude. 5 kilometers below the top we stop at 2 beautiful pagodas that were built on the occasion of the 60th birthday of the king and queen respectively. In the afternoon a visit to a Karen hill tribe village and a waterfall for a swim. We arrive in Mae Hong Son late in the afternoon where we spend the night. Mae Hong Son is a remote, mountainous province bordering Myanmar (Burma). Though sparsely populated, it’s ethnically diverse and home to hill tribes such as the Shan and Hmong.
In the morning we visit a village of the Padong Long Necks, one of the many different hill-tribes you will see on this tour. Next, the beautiful Tham Lot cave in Soppong and a visit to a Lisu and Lahu mountain village. We spend the night in the pleasant village of Pai. Pai sits in a valley on the banks of the Pai River. It’s known for its nearby gorges, hot springs and waterfalls, and the famous Pai Walking Street
You continue your tour through a mountainous and forested area along a winding and curvy road until you reach Bua Thong waterfall with its dramatic white limestone cliffs. Bua Thong waterfall is called Sticky waterfall by the local people. The water is from a calcium-rich spring that flows down over the boulders of the waterfall and makes the rocks almost creamy white.
The next stop is Wat Ban Den. One of the more imposing structures of the Wat Ban Den is a large Lanna style teak wood main building with a three-tiered roof. The roof is decorated with intricate wood carvings. A lot of traditional elements can be found in the overall structures here. Various animals and mythological creatures, mythical Naga serpents on the stairs and large lion figures called Singha in Thai, acting as guardians. Then we drive to a nice resort near the Chiang Dao caves where we spend the night.
We continue to Doi Mae Salong, an almost complete Chinese village in the mountains north of Chiang Rai. When the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, the Kuomintang led by Chiang Kai Shek had to flee. Most went to Taiwan but a small group fled to Thailand and these are the remnants. We visit the local market and we taste the famous Oolong tea. Next stop, Doi Tung to visit the Royal Project. The grandmother of the present king established a project for the hill tribe people who used to grow opium. They were stimulated to grow vegetables and flowers and you can see the beautiful Mae Fah Luang flower garden as a result. We will spend the night in the most northern province of Thailand.
We drive to the Burmese border at Mae Sai, at the Burmese border. There is a very interesting market over here with many products from Burma and China. You can cross the border to catch a glimpse of the Burmese life. Then to the infamous Golden Triangle on the Mekong river. From the viewpoint, you can see how Thailand, Laos, and Burma converge here. Via the old city of Chiang Saen with its ruins and a stop at hot springs, we return to Chiang Mai. We return back in Chiang Mai late in the afternoon. Here ends your tour, you have the option to take the night train or evening flight to Bangkok or stay longer in Chiang Mai or you can extend your holiday in a different way, all up to you.
Please use the enquiry form if you are a solo traveller. We will get in touch with you to see if/how we can arrange it.
Included transfers, air or otherwise are listed within the tour details. The tour does not include any international airfare. We can help you book the cheapest flights.
Please put any questions or adjustments you would like as a remark in the ‘notes’ section of the booking enquiry form. We will get in touch with you to see if/how we can arrange it.
For other questions please check our FAQ page or contact us via the enquiry form or the red contact button in the lower right corner of the page.